07
Jan
07
Jan
2 Peter 1:17
Posted by DJP, under Bible Study, Biblical, Christianity, DevocionalThis study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 1:17
17 For [gar] he received [lambano] from [para] God [theos] the Father [pater] honour [time] and [kai] glory [doxa], when there came [phero] such [toiosde] a voice [phone] to him [autos] from [hupo] the excellent [megaloprepes] glory [doxa], This [houtos] is [esti] my [mou] beloved [agapetos] Son [huios], in [eis] whom [hos] I [ego] am well pleased [eudokeo]. KJV-Interlinear
17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased’ NASB
While on the Mt. of Transfiguration, Peter, James and John, all three heard a voice, which thundered as no voice they, nor anyone, had ever heard.
This was the voice of God the Father, giving them formal acknowledgement that this Jesus, was indeed the Messiah.
Matt. 17:5
5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!’ NASB
Deut. 33:26-27
26 ‘There is none like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to your help, And through the skies in His majesty.
27 ‘The eternal God is [my refuge] a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; NASB
In this world all of the honor and glory attributed to people, is at best pale, shallow, subjective, biased, invented, made up for convenience, produced out of arrogance, ego, and approbation. After all, what person who consists of dust, with life and talent imputed by God into it, can boast of their inherent abilities (which do not exist).
Only God, and here, only the Son, possesses inherent abilities, even life, even eternal life, which never ends, and never had a beginning, and as such, is worthy of perfect honor and glory. Who can boast of a greater aspect of their life?
Peter was a witness of this formal acknowledgement of the Son, and by God the Father, no less. There is no other greater power, or authority which can make this statement, and carry the weight of unchallengeable truth.
And with this statement, Peter, and God through His word, places each one of us on notice.
We are nothing when it comes to our existence. As we are but a speck in the universe, but a speck in history, but a speck on this planet.
What is it then that makes man so wise as to reject the one and only creator and maintainer, of everything? Or to reject the one and only perfect plan for our eternal life, in favor of … what?
06
Jan
If We Love One Another, God Remains in Us
Posted by DJP, under Biblical, Christianity
January 7, 2009
Christmas Weekday
By Melanie Rigney
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. (1 John 4:11-12)
He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor. (Psalms 72:13)
(When Jesus realized the disciples were terrified when they saw him walking on the sea,) he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were (completely) astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:50-52)
Piety
Lord, help me to love as You love: without precondition and despite perceived hurts of the past and fears about the future.
Study
Today’s first reading brings to mind a marvelous scene from the 1987 film Barfly, loosely based on the life of Charles Bukowski, and nicknamed the Poet Laureate of Skid Row:
Wanda: I hate people. Do you hate people?
Henry: No ... but I sure feel better when they're not around.
It’s easy to love people who aren’t around: starving children in developing countries, for example, or friends or family we see once or twice a year at most. Loving folks we encounter every day ... that can be a different story. There’s the neighbor who doesn’t mow the grass often for our liking, the coworker who clips her nails at her desk, the man who puts his briefcase down on the only free seat on the bus or train.
Like the disciples in today’s Gospel reading, we fail to understand the incident of the loaves because our hearts are hardened. Christ didn’t line up the five thousand and provide food only to those he liked or approved of; he fed them all.
You may have heard of the best seller 90 Minutes in Heaven, which was co-authored by my friend Cec Murphey. Cec is a retired Presbyterian minister who’s been on every continent, including six years as a missionary in Africa. He’s the author of more than 100 books, many as a ghostwriter, which is why he’s called “The Man Behind the Words.” A while back, Cec sent around an e-mail update that beautifully captures where we go wrong and harden our hearts when we attempt to split loving as Christ and “liking” the people in our lives:
When we determine what is the acceptable behavior of another, we don’t love the person. This comes down to saying, “I’ll love you if you meet certain conditions.” … Maybe we need to learn to care for people as they are, regardless of whether they ever conform to our standards. We love them even if they never change. If we do that, we don’t have to decide whether we love or like them.
In Cursillo, we’re fond of saying: “Make a friend, be a friend, bring that friend to Christ.” We can’t skip steps one and two, and we can’t limit them to “make a friend who looks or acts just like you” or “make a friend because you feel sorry for that person or yourself.” Love all as Christ loves, and give thanks for His presence.
Action
Do some palanca for someone whom you have a hard time loving. Take him to dinner or talk with her about her 2009 vacation plans. Take courage; do not be afraid.
06
Jan
My neologisms
Posted by DJP, under Biblical, Christianity, Religion
Occurs to me maybe I should make some kind of a "sticky" post, to make question-answering easy. I'll just update it as I add words.
Here are some words or abbreviations I've invented.
emerg*** — a lot of people think Phil invented this. That makes perfect sense: Phil's all over the emerg* movement, has written about it, has given talks on it, has lampooned it in PoMotivator posters. Heck, I'd think he made it up, if I hadn't made it up myself. The truth is, Phil's too smart to have invented it. I fabricated it, because I kept seeing Those Folks faulting people for saying "emergent" when they should have said "emerging," and vice-versa. Since to me the difference is largely historical and academic, I just came up with this convenient shorthand. Hardcore geeks will observe that I strictly should have said either emerg*, or emerg???. They'd be right, of course. Oh well, too late.
HSAT — Having Said All That. I was using the phrase enough that a acronym seemed called for.
nomicophobia — irrational fear of any kind of law; knee-jerk dodge-reaction to anyone to mentions a commandment of God that you don't want to obey. Refusal to do anything unless it's on your terms. See further here.
obama — An empty thing onto which people project their own ideas, thoughts, fears and/or aspirations. See further here.
sarkicophobia — The fear of obeying God or doing anything for the glory of God in the flesh. A sarkicophobe would much rather disobey God outright, or do nothing whatever for His name, than do something "in the flesh." See further here.
Have I missed anything? Remind me, if so, and I'll expand.
Here are some words or abbreviations I've invented.
emerg*** — a lot of people think Phil invented this. That makes perfect sense: Phil's all over the emerg* movement, has written about it, has given talks on it, has lampooned it in PoMotivator posters. Heck, I'd think he made it up, if I hadn't made it up myself. The truth is, Phil's too smart to have invented it. I fabricated it, because I kept seeing Those Folks faulting people for saying "emergent" when they should have said "emerging," and vice-versa. Since to me the difference is largely historical and academic, I just came up with this convenient shorthand. Hardcore geeks will observe that I strictly should have said either emerg*, or emerg???. They'd be right, of course. Oh well, too late.
HSAT — Having Said All That. I was using the phrase enough that a acronym seemed called for.
nomicophobia — irrational fear of any kind of law; knee-jerk dodge-reaction to anyone to mentions a commandment of God that you don't want to obey. Refusal to do anything unless it's on your terms. See further here.
obama — An empty thing onto which people project their own ideas, thoughts, fears and/or aspirations. See further here.
sarkicophobia — The fear of obeying God or doing anything for the glory of God in the flesh. A sarkicophobe would much rather disobey God outright, or do nothing whatever for His name, than do something "in the flesh." See further here.
Have I missed anything? Remind me, if so, and I'll expand.
06
Jan
He Began To Teach Them
Posted by DJP, under Biblical, Christianity
January 6, 2009
Christmas Weekday
In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:34
Piety
God, help us to follow your call where ever it may lead us and whatever personal cost it may require. Jesus, help us to see the hunger in the eyes of those around us and respond to it with humility and obedience inspired by your example that sets aside our personal agenda and replaces it with yours. Holy Spirit, strengthen us to take the actions that God’s love requires of us. Amen.
Study
As the meaning of the Christmas season manifests itself in our minds, our hearts and our souls, today we see what is made possible by the baby who was born on the outskirts of Bethlehem 2009 years ago.
Jesus came because God loved us too much to leave us to our own ends. No matter what our mistakes might have been, what they are today or what they will be tomorrow, God did not want to leave us to the ends which we would choose. So, out of his love for us, to wipe the proverbial slate of sin clean, he sent his Son to teach us and redeem us.
None of our sins were going to be obstacles for God or Jesus to carry out this plan. Herod may have just executed John the Baptist in the story passed down to us from St. Mark, but that was not going to stop Jesus. He wanted to go away to a deserted place and rest – and pray for a while. But the contemplative prayer had to wait as the crowds gathered. As much as Jesus would prefer to grieve for his cousin, when he saw the crowd assembled, he was moved with pity and grief for them as well. Without John, they had no one to follow – for they were like sheep without a shepherd. So Jesus stepped up to the position he was destined to occupy.
St. Mark does not tell us much of what Jesus said that fateful day when his public ministry really began but he really showed what Jesus did. Not only did Jesus put his personal grief last, but he also performed the first of the many miracles passed down to us in what could be termed The First Supper. In this action or breaking the bread and feeding the five thousand people, the entire ministry of Jesus and even his passion is foreshadowed.
Action
What are you called to do? What situation is God placing before your eyes today?
Are you willing to accept that assignment with the humility and obedience that Jesus exhibited? Are you willing to follow Jesus to a deserted place and any hour of the day or night, ignoring any personal cost to your comfort and security?
Today, Jesus saw the hunger in the eyes of the people gathered around him and he acted. In the January monthly letter from Ken Hackett, president of Catholic Relief Services, he addresses the continuing hunger in the eyes of people today. He writes:
For months we’ve been hearing about the global food crisis. The cost of food and fuel increased suddenly and sharply, making it harder for poor people around the world to feed their families. In dozens of cities, people took to the streets in protest.
Now the focus is on the collapse of the world economy. Food and fuel prices on global markets have fallen nearly as precipitously as they rose.
So, is the global food crisis over?
Unfortunately, no. It has merely entered a new phase. We are now confronted with an environment of price volatility and uncertainty. Who knows where prices will be a year from now?
The letter goes on to point out that we must act now to avoid crisis in the future. A key part of a food security strategy must be an increased investment in farmers who cultivate small plots, particularly those who grow staple crops. Mr. Hackett explains that we can help farmers obtain badly needed fertilizer to maximize their harvests and connect farmers to markets where they can receive a good, fair price for their crops. In the midst of the food crisis, CRS launched or expanded several initiatives with these goals in mind, including programs seeking to increase production of rice in West Africa, navy beans in Ethiopia, chickpeas in Tanzania and cassava across the continent. Mr. Hackett concludes with this call to action:
And we must never forget the poorest of our brothers and sisters. We must provide those who are most vulnerable–such as orphans, the disabled, the elderly–with a safety net that would include food distribution, vouchers that could be exchanged for food and cash or food for work. These programs are particularly important in urban areas, where the desperately poor can’t grow food and so have no recourse when they exhaust their resources.
As we begin this New Year, it is an auspicious time to recommit ourselves to this fight to end hunger around the world.
Christmas Weekday
In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:34
Piety
God, help us to follow your call where ever it may lead us and whatever personal cost it may require. Jesus, help us to see the hunger in the eyes of those around us and respond to it with humility and obedience inspired by your example that sets aside our personal agenda and replaces it with yours. Holy Spirit, strengthen us to take the actions that God’s love requires of us. Amen.
Study
As the meaning of the Christmas season manifests itself in our minds, our hearts and our souls, today we see what is made possible by the baby who was born on the outskirts of Bethlehem 2009 years ago.
Jesus came because God loved us too much to leave us to our own ends. No matter what our mistakes might have been, what they are today or what they will be tomorrow, God did not want to leave us to the ends which we would choose. So, out of his love for us, to wipe the proverbial slate of sin clean, he sent his Son to teach us and redeem us.
None of our sins were going to be obstacles for God or Jesus to carry out this plan. Herod may have just executed John the Baptist in the story passed down to us from St. Mark, but that was not going to stop Jesus. He wanted to go away to a deserted place and rest – and pray for a while. But the contemplative prayer had to wait as the crowds gathered. As much as Jesus would prefer to grieve for his cousin, when he saw the crowd assembled, he was moved with pity and grief for them as well. Without John, they had no one to follow – for they were like sheep without a shepherd. So Jesus stepped up to the position he was destined to occupy.
St. Mark does not tell us much of what Jesus said that fateful day when his public ministry really began but he really showed what Jesus did. Not only did Jesus put his personal grief last, but he also performed the first of the many miracles passed down to us in what could be termed The First Supper. In this action or breaking the bread and feeding the five thousand people, the entire ministry of Jesus and even his passion is foreshadowed.
Action
What are you called to do? What situation is God placing before your eyes today?
Are you willing to accept that assignment with the humility and obedience that Jesus exhibited? Are you willing to follow Jesus to a deserted place and any hour of the day or night, ignoring any personal cost to your comfort and security?
Today, Jesus saw the hunger in the eyes of the people gathered around him and he acted. In the January monthly letter from Ken Hackett, president of Catholic Relief Services, he addresses the continuing hunger in the eyes of people today. He writes:
For months we’ve been hearing about the global food crisis. The cost of food and fuel increased suddenly and sharply, making it harder for poor people around the world to feed their families. In dozens of cities, people took to the streets in protest.
Now the focus is on the collapse of the world economy. Food and fuel prices on global markets have fallen nearly as precipitously as they rose.
So, is the global food crisis over?
Unfortunately, no. It has merely entered a new phase. We are now confronted with an environment of price volatility and uncertainty. Who knows where prices will be a year from now?
The letter goes on to point out that we must act now to avoid crisis in the future. A key part of a food security strategy must be an increased investment in farmers who cultivate small plots, particularly those who grow staple crops. Mr. Hackett explains that we can help farmers obtain badly needed fertilizer to maximize their harvests and connect farmers to markets where they can receive a good, fair price for their crops. In the midst of the food crisis, CRS launched or expanded several initiatives with these goals in mind, including programs seeking to increase production of rice in West Africa, navy beans in Ethiopia, chickpeas in Tanzania and cassava across the continent. Mr. Hackett concludes with this call to action:
And we must never forget the poorest of our brothers and sisters. We must provide those who are most vulnerable–such as orphans, the disabled, the elderly–with a safety net that would include food distribution, vouchers that could be exchanged for food and cash or food for work. These programs are particularly important in urban areas, where the desperately poor can’t grow food and so have no recourse when they exhaust their resources.
As we begin this New Year, it is an auspicious time to recommit ourselves to this fight to end hunger around the world.
06
Jan